All-New Ford Everest: Built to Conquer Extreme Terrains

A premium 7-seater SUV, the new Ford Everest sets itself apart from the rest of the pack with its technologically advanced features, extensive safety equipment and design cues. The new Everest has been purpose-built to tackle the world’s most extreme environments with ease, enabling you and your passengers to enjoy extraordinary journeys with confidence.

Terrain Management System (TMS)

Using an advanced Terrain Management System (TMS), drivers can dramatically alter the behaviour of the vehicle in order to provide maximum handling in challenging terrains. Similar to having an expert off-road driver available on demand, the smart system on board the Everest helps you stay in command with its intelligent four-wheel drive system, resulting in a smart, safe and fun-to- drive experience both on and off the road. The TMS provides optimal control, even in the most challenging off-road environments with four smart terrain settings; normal, snow/gravel/grass, sand and rock.

From undulating sand dunes to the icy roads, the TMS will help keep drivers in control at all times. The normal mode is tuned for the best on-road driving experience, sending torque to the front wheels when necessary in order to minimise potential wheel slip; an ideal mode when cruising.

The snow/gravel/grass mode in the Everest prioritises maintaining traction on slippery or loose surfaces – upshifts early and downshifts late to reduce RPMs and decreases accelerator pedal sensitivity in order to increase control. This results in smoother throttle progression and stability control/traction control than in normal mode. This mode can also be used in muddy conditions. For very thick mud or steep hills, low-range 4×4 combined with normal mode may provide the best performance.

The sand mode on the other hand helps drivers maintain momentum when driving on sandy terrains by providing aggressive torque transfer and higher throttle sensitivity, while the rock mode works in conjunction with low-range four-wheel drive to provide maximum traction and precise low-speed control to help you navigate extreme off-road terrain.

Electric Power-assisted Steering (EPAS) – The smarter way to steer

In providing a more enhanced driving experience, the new Ford Everest features an electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) system that alters the level of steering assistance based on vehicle speed, steering wheel angle, cornering forces and acceleration. The intelligent system delivers precise steering that feels natural and confident, while reducing fuel consumption and improving refinement by eliminating a belt-driven power steering pump.

This gives the Everest light handling at slow speeds, such as when parking, and firmer, more precise steering when moving at higher speeds. In addition, the EPAS system also enables a number of smart technologies and makes for a more refined and efficient vehicle, such as Lane Keeping Aid, Active Park Assist, Pull Drift Compensation and Active Nibble Control.

The Active Park Assist takes the stress out of parallel parking by steering the vehicle in automatically, providing a hassle-free and seamless experience for drivers. Once activated, the Active Park Assist scans the road for suitable parking spots and upon finding a space, the driver would only have to operate the gas, brake and shifting input while the system handles the steering.

Getting You Back on Track

The Lane Keeping Aid helps to guide drivers back on course if an unintended lane departure is detected using the vehicle’s front-facing camera, ensuring the driver safely keeps on the intended lane – EPAS system is engaged to deliver smooth steering torque to gently pull the vehicle back on course. This feature will not be activated if a turn indicator has been turned on, if it detects an evasive steering manoeuvre, or if the driver quickly accelerates. Alternatively, the feature can also be disabled manually by the driver.

Another smart feature that ensures the safety of the driver and its passengers is the Pull Drift Compensation. This feature helps to keep the vehicle on course in conditions such as heavy winds or on steeply crowned roads. When travelling above 40 km/h, the EPAS system can detect when the driver has to compensate for adverse road conditions, and reduces the level of steering effort required by the driver, thereby reducing driver fatigue.

The EPAS system replaces the hydraulic pump in a traditional power steering unit with a lighter electric motor, reducing not only vehicle weight but cabin noise for a more refined drive. To increase driver comfort, the Active Nibble Control in the Everest eliminates unwanted vibrations in the steering wheel.

With so many advanced sensors and driver assistance technologies, the new Ford Everest also offers best-in- class water wading and ground clearance – 800mm water wading ability and 225mm ground clearance. Priced from RM198,888 on the road without insurance in Peninsular Malaysia and RM201,888 in East Malaysia, the all-new Everest is available in four elegant colours: Sunset Metallic, Cool White, Black Mica Metallic and Aluminium Metallic.

About the Author

Subhash Nair Written work on dsf.my. @subhashtag on instagram. Autophiles Malaysia on Youtube.